Adrian Dater
The thing I’ll always take away from doing this job, way more than any salary or smug humblebrag, is that I got to meet a lot of interesting people. The stories from those meetings, the actual interactions with people from the sport/business/history, is what I’ll most cherish. (I’m a bit sentimental for some reason tonight, I admit).
The fact that I got to interact for a few years with a guy like Ryan O’Byrne, then get to catch up with him years later and share some common memories, is great to be able to say.
Ryan O’Byrne played for the Avalanche from 2010-13, the middle of a three-team NHL career that also included the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. He was a big, hard-hitting defenseman who didn’t score much (five goals in 308 career games) and who could also fight.
After his NHL career ended in 2013 with Toronto, O’Byrne played three more years professionally in Europe.
O’Byrne went to Cornell, and became one of the few pro athletes to actually go back and get his degree, then an MBA. That’s where we picked up our conversation the other day.
What have you been up to lately Ryan? Where you live now?
I live in Chicago right now. I work for Gatorade, setting strategy, working a lot with their Muscle Milk brand and other new things. I start Monday actually. In the spring of 2016, I went back to Cornell and got my degree, then went to Kellogg School of Management and got my MBA. It took me about three years to realize exactly what I wanted to do with my life after hockey. I worked in real estate and finance for a couple years, but I wanted to be more involved with sports I realized. There were definitely some ups and downs and some unsure moments with that I wanted to do but I’m 100 percent confident now that I’ve found the path. I was pretty honest with myself that, playing in the National Hockey League and winning hockey games, that’s going to be a pretty hard thing to compare to in anything you do in your second career. My worry was kind of finding something that would give me purpose, something that I was passionate about. I didn’t really want to be a professional hockey player who didn’t really accomplish much in my second career. But there are different ways you can do that.
After your career in the NHL, you went overseas to play in Prague, in the KHL, then a year in the Swiss League, then a final year in the Swedish League. What was it like to play overseas in those different places?
It was, overall, a great experience. The KHL is a super competitive league. I was very impressed with how competitive that league is. I was in Prague that year, and we had a really good team, that went to Game 7 of the Finals. The Swiss League was much, much different. It was much more of a “lifestyle” league. It was more offense, more run-and-gun. And then the last year, in Sweden, that was a little more intense. All three leagues were very distinct. For me, it was a great opportunity for me to continue my career, play for a few more years, and an amazing opportunity for me to see the world and different cultures. My last year, my body was really starting to hurt and break down.
Getting to your days with the Avalanche; how would you, in general, sum up your experience here?
People always ask me, ‘who’s your favorite team you played for?’ and I always say the Avalanche. For me, it was a direct corollary to personal success and how much you enjoyed the city. My best years in the NHL were with Colorado. I got traded to Colorado in 2010 and honestly, my career was struggling at that point. I’d been a healthy scratch for a month straight in Montreal. I was starting to think, “maybe this isn’t going to work out.’ But Joe (Sacco) just empowered me with a lot of confidence. They gave me the opportunity and from there I think I really blossomed. I had two really good years there. 2011-12 was my best year in the league. I had a great season, but we didn’t make the playoffs, unfortunately. But I loved living in Denver and it holds a dear spot in my heart. My third year there, things got a little tougher. It was kind of a broken year, with the lockout. But when I look back to the people, the coaches and some of the teammates I had there, it’s a special place and I actually hope to be able to live back there again some day.
Is there a single moment in your Avs career you remember most?
Well, I didn’t score many goals there, did I? I think, during my second year, we didn’t make the playoffs but it was probably my best and favorite year of my career. The momentum that I had going, personally that year and the fun we had that year on that team – we had some characters on that team. I look back on that as a highlight of my whole career. Just knowing that I could go out there and get the job done, and having the confidence of the coaching staff was great. It’s something that’s hard to attain in the NHL. Me and Jan Hejda played together, and I thought we played well together.
What were some of your go-to spots in Denver, either to eat, drink and/or socialize?
I was a huge Ocean Prime guy. I would walk down there from the Pepsi Center all the time. But I lived in Cherry Creek, so Elway’s was always a big part of my life. There was a good hotel in Cherry Creek, whose name I forgot, that had a great little place to hang out. I loved living there. It was an easy drive to the Pepsi Center.
You touched on this, but those Avs teams you played on did have some characters on them. Who were some of the biggest jokesters you played with?
T.J. Galiardi was a big one, probably the biggest. Erik Johnson is always joking around He’s hilarious. He’s always got something to say. How could you forget Shane O’Brien? He always had something to say. Those three guys were the ones who were always saying or doing something.
The 2011-12 team had three “O” guys – Ryan O’Reilly, Shane O’Brien and Ryan O’Byrne. Did you guys have some fun with that, or did others have some fun with you guys over it?
Well, we did. We had a few beers together here and there. They called us the “Apostrophes.” There is a picture of the three of us somewhere together with our jerseys turned around. I have great memories of being with those two guys. It was fun to see “Factor” win the Cup this year.
You played in the two most famous hockey cities of all, Montreal and Toronto, with Denver in between. How would you sum up the difference between that experience of playing in Original Six Canadian cities to Denver?
Well, it was definitely different. In Toronto or Montreal, you’d finish a practice and there would be 30 or 40 reporters in the dressing room, all asking questions. In Denver, that’s just not the case. Toronto was a bigger city, the third or fourth-biggest city in North America I think. For me, I liked living in Colorado the best. I enjoyed that lifestyle a little bit more, with not as much media scrutiny. I think a lot of players feel the same way.
Are there any Avs teammates you still keep in regular or occasional touch?
I still keep in good touch with Tyson Barrie. We’re both from the same hometown, Victoria, B.C. We played some golf not too long ago. Me and Paul Stastny texted a bit last year. Me and John Liles, still catch up. Actually, I need to catch up more with John.
Last question: as someone who went through it, who made the NHL, what’s the one piece of advice you would give to a young player in the league today?
I would say ‘enjoy every second of it.’ That’s very easy to say now. When I was younger, there was just so much stress, trying to stay in the league, trying to stay in the lineup. I was fighting for my spot every night. When I do look back on my time in the NHL, I think maybe I was too stressed out at times, especially in Montreal. I should have just relaxed a little bit more and enjoyed the city and the culture. I would say to players today to really embrace the place you play as your home. Get to know the culture and the people, and build relationships there. I think those are always the most important thing. When it’s over, it’s over. It’s a very, very short time frame.
Thank you to Ryan for his time. Say hi to him on Twitter and give him a follow.